Kerr moves to NMIT
Chamber of Commerce chief executive Grant Kerr is moving on from commerce to education.
Kerr, the CEO of the Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough chambers, accepted a role at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT), and will shift into that job in September.
Kerr will be NMIT’s new executive of director of strategy, enterprise and sustainability.
He said deciding to move on had been extremely difficult and he had not anticipated having to make that sort of choice so soon into his role at the chamber.
When he begins work with NMIT, he will have been the CEO of the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce (NTCC) for just under two years, and of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce (MCC) for 12 months.
Kerr will continue working with both chambers in the lead-up to the business awards held in November.
‘‘I am confident I have set a solid direction for the next chamber leader to build on, with the assistance of the fantastic teams and board members of both chambers,’’ he said.
In a media release, NTCC board president Lees Seymour thanked Kerr for ‘‘the wonderful job he has done as CEO of both chambers’’.
‘‘He has introduced a new strategy and direction for the Nelson Tasman Chamber, built excellent working relationships with the Nelson Regional Development Agency and NMIT and breathed new life into the chamber brand,’’ Seymour said.
Kerr also ‘‘spearheaded’’ the top of the south resource-sharing approach, which both the Nelson Tasman and Marlborough Chamber of Commerce boards are committed to continuing.
MCC board president Nita Van Grinsven said Kerr was ‘‘instrumental’’ in bolstering the MCC, and they would be sorry to see him go.
‘‘It is with regret that he is stepping down from the chambers, but we look forward to continuing to work with him in his new role at NMIT,’’ she said.
NMIT chief executive Liam Sloan said the institute was pleased to have Kerr.
‘‘Grant will be responsible for ensuring NMIT remains focused on strategy, enterprise and sustainability therefore it goes without saying that Grant will be required to collaborate with a vast number of stakeholders, including both chambers,’’ he said.
The steering committee, with board members from both chambers, will begin the recruitment process for a new chief executive over the next few weeks.